Too hard, too boring, too long, too weird - 10 books I DNFed

[@alloralou4722]

I’m 59 and have been a reader all my life. I’m getting too old to waste time finishing books I don’t like when there are so many to still read!

[@M-J]

Agree 💯!

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Well said!

[@choco1199]

Amen

[@YaFeya13]

Absolutely!!!!

[@johnbarton562]

Amen to that - don't feel guilty for putting a book down if you don't enjoy it - move on.

[@M-J]

Embrace that DNF! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 I have a “To Finish” as well as a “Never to Open Again” shelf on GoodReads. 😂

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Ha ha love that

[@choco1199]

🙂

[@cassie_hart]

Life is too short to read books that aren't holding your interest! I never used to DNF, but now I do it whole lot more often. No shame in it lol

[@KeytarArgonian]

I personally love the feeling of DNF’ing multiple times only to then *Finally* have the moment you pick it up and are ready for a book. Controversially probably I had this issue with Dune of all things. I was in my biggest reading drought in my adult life, with way too many distractions for almost a decade. Books for birthdays and Christmas just kept building, but finally I got into Dune properly on the 4th attempt and it rekindled my reading completely.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

YES! That's a great feeling!

[@alexthompson6344]

War and Peace is beautiful. Give it another go some other time. It's daunting because of the sheer length and number of characters, but once you've gone through it, the characters (ik this sounds dramatic) come to life. It's a story about family, friendship, and finding oneself. The characters really stick with you.

[@amyschmelzer6445]

Right before lockdown I checked out book with both A Tale of Two Cities and Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. When everything shut down three years ago those were the two books I was reading. I won’t go so far as to say I love Dickens, but I remember despising his work when it was assigned to me in high school. As an adult I didn’t think they were too bad.

[@thefriesofLockeLamora]

For me DNFing is a form of self care. In many instances I DNF a book that has abominable prose (The Maid by Nita Prose most recently) or characters that are just too much (Grady from Wonder Boys was a bit much)

[@susanalfieri4487]

Interesting. THE WONDER BOYS is one of my all-time favorites.

[@lynnbrannan4578]

I read "Shogun" as a child. My mom had it and I pretty much would read anything I could lay my hands on! Thank you for bringing it up! I want to read it now as an adult from a different perspective. I remember reading "Sybil" at this time too. That disturbed me to no end. But I loved to sneak my moms books.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Wow that's a big book for a kid to read!

[@happyhauntslibrary]

I love knowing what folks have DNFed. I think it says a lot about a reader. I actually rarely ever talk about my DNFs and this video has me thinking of bringing them up more!

[@CriminOllyBlog]

You should do a video!

[@Fancyted]

You should consider trying The Blade Itself again on audiobook. The narration is hands down the best I've ever heard in the entire format and really makes the books come alive. The series itself is excellent and worth trying again. All the best, Ollie!

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Cheers - I might check that out

[@deelak2329]

You DNF'd the First Law? Wow. I absolutely love that series. I think if you pus through the first book you might end up loving the series so much.

[@wallhagens2001]

The Shogun mini-series is fantastic. A real shame it’s been forgotten, because it holds up. Beautiful to watch and great characters.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I should watch that

[@buzzselous3757]

I can't agree with you on this one. I tried to watch the mini series last year and DNFed after the first episode. I found it poorly acted and hokey. Maybe further episodes got better but I will never find out. I am glad that you liked it.

[@jacksonkerr2095]

One of the books I wasn't sure I'd finish was "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" by Victor Hugo. However, I got into a car ride lasting several hours traveling home, and I had brought the book with me. That was a good setting and incentive to finish the book. The way the book is set up, you follow three or four separate characters whose stories don't seem to have anything to do with each other for the first hundred pages, or thereabouts. However, about halfway through the book their stories begin to intersect and it is fantastic. If you stick with it it's a rewarding read.

[@AllenFreemanMediaGuru]

Those are my least favorite type of book like you are reading 3-4 unfinished stories that eventually come together. But…I just read Bull Mountain by Brian Panowich and his side story still held my attention then it merged into the main story in a big way.

[@TheMightyPika]

I DNFed Stones of Summer even after special ordering it. While the style is very enjoyable and relaxing, it's also a nostalgia piece for folks who grew up in the 1960's, so a huge portion of the emotional communication was lost on me as a 90's kid. Some of the character's reactions (ranting in non-sequitors, laughing to the point of falling over at literally nothing, reacting as though something profound happened when someone climbs on a shelf, did I mention the non-sequitors? So so many) but the tone is just so pleasant that I'll definitely be trying again sometime.

[@BookTimewithElvis]

Yes I understand about Shantaram although I enjoyed it. Shogun is definitely worth another shot it is a great book and moves quickly. I have to confess I have never heard of any of the others but I guess that is not surprising :)

[@MsEleanorShelby]

I read Shogun 30 years ago on a vacation to Portugal. It was the only book I took on this trip. That's why I did finish it, because even when it was difficult or dragged at times, I had no alternatives. Nowadays with having a kindle and audiobook apps everywhere with me, I would have never made it through, the temptation to skip to another book would be too big.

[@thekeywitness]

I used to DNF a lot (lack of discipline) but these days I try harder to finish what I start. But that’s made me hyper-selective about what I’ll pick up next. If a book seems like it could be too dated or potentially dull I won’t even give it a try. 😢

[@Cat3deye]

I have the Ducks Newburyport on my shelf since it was published but the size intimidates me. And I have some books that intimidate me I don't even start them 😅 (Infinite Jest, Love in the time of cholera, Don Quichotte etc.) But I will step by step conquer my fear! Thank you for your videos! I am currently reading Cypher thanks to you!

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Ah hope you're enjoying the Cipher! I thought it was great!

[@allynicholl3998]

So glad you mentioned Wolf Hall, I’ve been slogging miserably through the audiobook on and off for months and I felt like I was the only living human who couldn’t get into it. You gave me the kick I needed to finally DNF it 🙂 Just found your channel and really enjoying it, thanks!

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Any day I convince someone not to read Wolf Hall is a happy day!

[@colonelweird]

When it comes to reading translated works, you might consider the effects of different translations. Older translations can make Tolstoy sound like a middling English novelist with a good education, for example. That style is very distinctive, but it doesn't stand the test of time unless the writer is a genius, like Forster, Hardy, or Conrad. It really muffles Tolstoy's genius. And the first time I tried The Count of Monte Cristo, the archaic style made me give up within three pages. But when I got the recent Robin Buss translation, it changed the experience completely, and it became one of the best reading experiences of my life.

[@joanthompson5606]

Long before the Outlander series, I randomly picked up a library book called "Household Gods" by Judith Tarr and Harry Turtledove. Same idea of a modern woman taken accidentally back in time, but to ancient Roman occupied Europe. She has amazing adventures and the book is fascinating, also much shorter...

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Oh that’s sounds quite interesting! Cheers, Joan

[@joanthompson5606]

@@CriminOllyBlog you're welcome, hope you get to read it!

[@teresagrabs488]

I absolutely loved Shogun...except the ending. Reading over 1000 pages only to have the battle you've been preparing for all book end up being a "the battle happened and everyone got exactly what they wanted" ending is infuriating.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

That does sound a bit crap!

[@dudeatmenangle]

I remember reading Shogun when I was perhaps 20, really enjoyed it from memory. Have had an interest in ancient Japan ever since.

[@thirdtime]

I have DNF’d Dune twice. I love sci-fi and many sci-fi readers rank this book as one of the best, but I can only make it 100 pages in before I put it down. While I will try it again someday, the book currently gathers dust on the shelf.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

It is a pretty heavy book, world-building wise

[@fredhaier5526]

I think it took me three times to read "Dune." Recommended to me by a friend in high school. Once I did finish "Dune" I read the next two books and then I think two more in the series over time. Never did get back to the series, but I would like to read "Dune" again. Never read any Dickens, except a play in high school of "A Christmas Carol." I am attempting to read "David Copperfield" over the next few months.

[@lolo_bird]

I got through the first two but sheesh the third one… thank goodness we can just watch the wonderful films and not bother with the books, sometimes films are actually better 😂

[@KeytarArgonian]

I also had this problem with Dune, although to be fair it was me climbing out of a reading drought for the better part of a decade. But I stuck with it and it rekindles my love of reading eventually. I think It was a ‘me’ problem, rather than the book itself.

[@michaelcolbourn6719]

Same! I got 80 pages in and never been so bored. I didn't really understand what was happening, didn't really car what was happening, and the characters seemed very dull. Maybe I'll try it again. I like sci fi but I'm not a sci fi nut and prefer "light" sci fi, but there's so many other books I want to read I can't see me trying again any time soon.

[@steveallen273]

Hi again. Yes, character lists can help with these books, especially if reading other books at same time. Also, re War and Peace- Wiki has character lists relating to order of appearance and an alphabetical list. Great Expectations my fave book ever. Sparks notes with brief chapter summaries makes great accompaniment and does some of the work for the reader.

[@karinscott4455]

I DNF'd The Fireman by Joe Hill. And I love his stuff. When I start excessively rolling my eyes, I know the moment has come. Life is too short.

[@annettemurielle]

Still struggling with Stangers on a Train. I try to read it every night and I pick it up with dread in my heart. I've never felt this way, but I can't quit. I just cannot quit.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Wow - sorry you dislike it so much!

[@krisprepolec5616]

I don’t DNF often. A couple that were not for me: White Noise by Don DeLillo (the style rubbed me the wrong way), and Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (just not into it). I like to make bespoke shelves on Goodreads. I have an “abandoned” shelf, as well as a TBR shelf for books I own. Helpful at the bookstore.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Yeah having a list of books you have that's easy to access is a great idea

[@headlessspaceman5681]

C. Robert Cargill wrote as a film critic for ten years and now he's a successful screenwriter but inbetween he wrote a pair of books that I found uniquely satisfying works of "fantasy" fiction, Dreams And Shadows, and Queen of The Dark Things. Engaging characters. Unusual plot. Well-constructed twists and turns. But I also DNF Sea of Rust. I guess I don't care what happens to robots in a post-apocalypse. Sorry future overlords.

[@queen_in_yellow]

Same!!

[@Greencava11]

I was listening to the beginning of this and my mind went straight to 2666 which I picked up years ago I've read the first few chapters but the size is intimidating and it goes back on the shelf. laughed when you mentioned it at the end .

[@Snailslow69]

I don't dnf, I just set aside for months or years. That's how I deal with it. Sometimes I forget about them or store them away somewhere.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I think that might be the same thing....

[@heidifogelberg3544]

I do DNF books, though I have an interim step I sometimes take. If I'm reading away and find that I've now done 4 pages without the least idea what was on them, but I now have worked out my grocery list, and this sort of moment is occurring often during this book, it's a dnf candidate. If it's a long book, I'll generally set it aside at that point to think of again on another day, maybe. If it's a shorter book, or if I kind of have a wish to know how it works out but no accompanying drive to slog on through, I will start to skim. I'll read with less care and attention, and slide past long paragraphs of description, etc. Sometimes I'll read for a bit more normally if it catches me for a while. I don't credit myself with finishing these, unless I get to the end and decide that justifies my going back and doing it properly, which does sometimes happen. But if I just slide and glide through, I tend to drop that one into the pass-along-somehow box, and not enter it into my "read" listing, and there's - hopefully - an end to the matter. Unless I get truly and deeply stupid and buy the damn thing again ...

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Yeah I've had some people talk in the comments about a soft-DNF, where you technically finish the book but the later sections of it are a blur that you whizz through to get it done

[@ianwild66]

Great video. I have only dnfed a couple of books, but I don't read as many books as you. I do hope to read the brothers K and hope I can get through it. I'm reading A la research du temp perdu so I hope that helps me as there aren't that many books longer than that! Thanks for posting.

[@racheldemain1940]

Give Babel a read. Not overhyped but a gorgeous read set in Oxford University with a little bit of Fantasy but doesn't overdo it. I loved it and will re-read. I don't feel Guilty for DNF'ing a book anymore.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I think I might have that one on my kindle

[@sherrirabinowitz4618]

I felt that way about Dan Brown after I read The Lost Symbol which seemed to be a mix of all his previous books but his last book, Origin, is really different and really good. It is totally not predictable and doesn't follow the formula of his other books. Just a suggestion but I thought I would let you know.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Oh interesting!

[@EmmyAngua]

Of these the only one I've read is The Bees (which I enjoyed, but I can understand it's not for everyone.) Of the others mentioned, Great Expectations is my favourite Dickens but Dickens isn't everyone's cup of tea. I enjoy Wolf Hall for the history but the style was utterly insufferable. It's amazing how much influence mood has over reading - I remember thinking Agatha Christie's Sparkling Cyanide was an absolute drag (though I love Christie) and then going back to it months later and finding it a breeze to read. I recently saw someone describe some DNFs as 'this was a lovely meal, but I'm full up now' which is a great way to describe why you can enjoy a book, and get a lot out of it, but then reach a point where you just don't want any more.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Yeah completely agree about the mood thing - it makes a huge difference

[@thomasceneri867]

Keep in mind that how you find a book at one point in time changes with time. And you must get back to Great Expectations! The book is so bizarre and the characters are just fascinating.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I do completely agree that books can be different at different times

[@Snailslow69]

For anyone interested in Shogun they have to be ready for all the sequels. Even you may have to devote a whole year or more to them. All but one are doorstops. I never even started for that reason.

[@kirsireima5758]

@@Snailslow69 Well, thankfully the Asia novels are more or less standalones. I think I've read three, Shogun, Tai-Pan, and Noble House, and, as I recall, Shogun wasn't really connected to the other two in any way. My personal favourite of those is Tai-Pan.

[@francissookraj3202]

I can think several books I dnf, one particular is Catch 22 by Joseph Heller, I keep hearing great things about it, that's it's one of the funniest anti-war book ever written. I tried twice to read this book but I gave up qaurter way through. I have seen the movie. The other is It by Stephen King, I think I got as far as 400 pages, then surrender maybe it's massive length at over 1000 pages, I just didn't have the patience for it. My daughter read it and finished it, and she enjoyed it.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I've actually read and enjoyed both of those! One of the things I love about reading is that every book is different for every reader

[@waynemartinmartin4128]

I absolutely loved It. My favorite Stephen King book. Read it in 2 days. Despite the fact I'm the king of arachnophobia.

[@christosvoskresye]

The Brothers Karamazov is on the very short list of the best books I've ever read. For a REALLY HARD book to finish -- I never did and never will -- I give you Wings of the Dove by Henry James.

[@angelaarcher7781]

Anytime I have a hard time getting through a book reading it myself I will sometimes give it a try on Audible especially if it’s and author I love or a book that a lot of people have said is really great. I have quite a few that I found quite enjoyable through Audiobooks but just couldn’t get into them reading myself an good example is Duma Key I couldn’t read it tried 3-4 times but as an audiobook it’s now one of my favorites.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

That's a great idea!

[@tawallah77]

I don’t DNF as often as I should. I have 19 books on my DNF shelf on Goodreads. There are other books I’ve picked up and the timing was wrong or I couldn’t give my full attention- Wolf Hall, The Secret History. So I’m grateful for March of the Mammoths which relooks at how we tackle big books and the pressure to get out reviews or thoughts on popular books. For slower readers, the pressure to read x books in a week is often unrealistic. So now I’m all for reading bigger books and taking my time, can give updates as I read whilst reading books with faster pace.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Good luck with March of the Mammoths!

[@carlosbranca8080]

Left the video at Shogun which is an absolute page turner for me. Also DNF War and Peace, Karamazov and Great Expectations? I guess we don't have the same tastes in books at all...

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Well none of them are crime, pulp or horror....

[@bfitzger2]

I have a private reading blog (well, one markdown file for each year), where I note what books I bought, what books I started reading, and what books I finished reading (dates for each), and then notes for each book I finished reading (what I liked, didn't like, knew about it before, thoughts it sparked in me). I should probably do that for the books I start and never finish, because often the reason I don't finish a book is "wasn't in the mood for that kind of book, not that it was terrible.

[@barrymoore4470]

One relatively recent and well regarded novel I didn't finish was 'Never Let Me Go' by Kazuo Ishiguro, first published in 2005. I had seen and appreciated the 2010 film adaptation (Mark Romanek directing a screenplay by Alex Garland), so already knew the premise and story, but the novel felt padded to me, with the essential narrative revelation needlessly deferred, to the degree that I grew impatient with the author's pacing. I still own my copy, but haven't returned to it since that time.

[@dianevanderlinden3480]

Hmmm I've always meant to read 'The Remains of the Day' as I've seen the movie several times. Never tried the other.

[@barrymoore4470]

@@dianevanderlinden3480 I know that's another highly regarded work by Ishiguro. I've neither read the book nor seen the film version, though a late friend of mind found the movie moving.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

OMG I didn't know Romanek directed that movie - I'm a big fan of his now disowned first film, Static.

[@paisley9782]

I have 62 books on my Goodreads 'abandoned' shelf but i admit it took me many years to actually stop feeling guilty about not finishing a book, especially library books, lol

[@writerguy911]

Love the channel and this video just popped up. A colleague recommended Shantaram to me and lent me his copy, claiming it was one of the best books he had ever read. I did finish it (as a personal rule if I read the first page I actually finish the book) and it was one of the worst things I have ever read. With that said, I would actually love to go back and reread it now that it has been about a decade since I read it, and give it a review for my other KZbin channel. While I hate giving a book a negative review, I think that one would be quite interesting. Great video!

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I remain very glad I DNFed it!

[@jr4bz]

Thanks for the video. I definitely understand. For me, I think the biggest hurdle with lengthy novels is the impatience of having a huge TBR and wanting to get to something else. So I found a strategy that works, for me at least. I will either convert a large novel into a duology or trilogy (divide it into two or three parts and think of them as separate books) or I will read it alongside another novel a chapter at the time. For example, I just started War and Peace last month but noticed it has like 361 chapters so I set the goal to read one chapter per day. If I stick with it, it will be read in one year and I will still have been able to get to other things. There is no way I would have the patience to stick with it otherwise. Now if I just plain don't like something, that's another story - no problem at all with DNFing something we aren't enjoying when there is a nearly endless amount of other options out there waiting for us.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

That does seem a sensible approach1

[@giddygrub7176]

Great idea.

[@timgerstmar6243]

2666 is a great book. I read it about two years ago. But it is big, and I’m with you on how that can make you reticent to start. You’re right, you want to pick the right time for it. It’s a weird book, but really kind of fascinating. Definitely dark and morbid in many parts.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I do really like the sound of it

[@joanthompson5606]

Not meaning to be a vocabulary n*z*, but reticent means not wanting to speak, while the word you want is reluctant. Just so you know... 😏🥴😊🖖

[@LauraBCReyna]

Just a few days ago I DNFed The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah-- a very popular book-- after 12 pages! It seemed overwritten & the flowery language annoyed me. I was thinking of skipping passages when I went to Goodreads to see if it was worth continuing. Came across a long, detailed review that convinced me it wasn't worth it & wld only frustrate me further. Feeling both good & bad abt DNFing... Bad bc I had heard great things abt the book & was really looking forward to reading it... Good bc my local thrift store was having a half off sale & I got it for only 25 cents!

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Managing to realise a book isn't for you after 12 pages feels like a huge win to me

[@thestudiointhelibrary1387]

Thank you so much for the tip on creating your own exclusive shelves on Goodreads. I just created exclusive 'unfinished' and 'dnf' shelves to clear out my 'currently reading' shelf and take some pressure off there. I have only dnf'd one book since joining Goodreads in 2016; nice place to put it on record. The 'unfinished' books I do intend to revisit someday. The best. D.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Glad you found the tip helpful!

[@richardjohnston1784]

I remember getting a copy of the hobbit along with the commodore 64 computer game. Had to read it to know what to do and loved it. Then, I tried reading Lord of the Rings and I think I got as far as Tom Bombadil's appearance and gave up. I guess I was about 10 or 11. Finally read at university and thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn't really dnf books until more recently as reading time has become limited and more precious.

[@bushbabyninja]

I have given up on a few books in the past(physical)but gone back at a later date and, reading them on my Kindle got through them. I think the Kindle helps sometimes, especially with longer books, as you're not daunted by the physical size of them.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Yeah true, although that percentage read indicator can be depressing!

[@stevetrowbridge7425]

Yeah, I’ve DNF’d a few books over the last few years. I complete MANY more books that I put down, of course, but every once in a while there will just be that one book that I cannot do. And I’m not that picky of a reader. The main genres I reach for are Horror/thriller and fantasy, though I’ll read some science fiction and dystopian and occasionally even some contemporary stuff from time to time. YA I’ll also read every once in a while as well because it’s fun and easy. But more and more I’ve just been embracing the fact that life is too short and I should’ve be wasting time on books that just do not connect with me. Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon, Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons, and the Devil in Silver by Victor Lavalle are a few that I’ve put down within the last 1-2 years or so. I got a fair way into each one, except Harvest Home, that one is just darn near impossible to actually read, but that’s just me, and I know a lot of people enjoy that one.

[@stevetrowbridge7425]

*shouldn’t be wasting my time. D@mn autocorrect.

[@mlodestar2743]

Another one I forgot. The Autobiography of Aleister Crowley. I got partway through that, but the author so irritated me that I just threw the book across the room in contempt.

[@AllenFreemanMediaGuru]

I first read Angels and Demons of Dan Brown’s work. I loved it. Then many years later read The DiVinci Code which I really liked. I think putting years in-between the two probably helped as I did not see the similarities. I read Inferno and do not remember it. Deception Point I really liked as well.

[@charlesbarrowbooks]

I probably dnf a couple of books a year, but it's always with regret as I hate to be defeated by a book. I finished Ducks, Newburyport in Jan of this year. It took over two months to read. It has 998 pages. The lack of sentence/paragraph breaks was a big issue for me too, and, I'm not going to lie, I really struggled at times. But I'm pleased I persisted, it has really stayed with me.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Ah well done for making it through!

[@SeaSandLand]

I'm definitely in the camp of DNF'ing books. Only DNF'ed two this year and for very different reasons. Tess of the d'Urbervilles was great, but I just wasn't in the mood for it. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstein on the other hand bored me so much I'd forgotten I'd DNF'ed it two weeks later. One I'll return to, one I'll certainly not. I liked the fifth season and I've read the entire trilogy, but I'm pretty sure I didn't understand half of what was going on. In the end I just decided to roll with it, and I'm glad I did. It's a good series, but I imagine it will require several reads to fully understand.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Ha! I do think sometimes we just need to let ourselves not understand what the hell is going on

[@lesleyspear7933]

I did not know you could make an exclusive shelf on goodreads but I will be using that. I have 7 books that I have DNF’d including Moby Dick, Fire Upon the Deep and Les Mis.

[@johnsmith8906]

Do you have any books or authors that everyone else seems to like, but you don't?

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Hmmmmm, I'm not sure!

[@rscottwiley3624]

In the past I felt guilty when I DNFed a book - like I failed or something. I often forced myself to finish some books (which certainly doesn't improve my opinion of them!). Now if a book just isn't working or it's just not the right time for me, I'll DNF. Sometimes I revisit and sometimes not. After all there are a lot of books out there that won't read themselves!

[@PumpkinFinch]

I have both a DNF shelf (I will defintly not be finishing) and an On Hold shelf (books that I stopped reading but I think I'll like it and just not the right time for it). I only really read one book at a time so if I'm not liking something I can't keep going with it, I want to read a lot and if I try forcing myself through a book I won't read at all. So I stop reading and move on frequently to something else.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

My problem with putting books on hold is that I inevitably forget what was going on and so have to start them again

[@ThatReadingGuy28]

I'm curious, what are some of your favourite long books? (500 pages plus)

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Hmmmm - Moby Dick, 1Q84, The Terror, IT, Swan Song

[@ThatReadingGuy28]

@@CriminOllyBlog Ooo I have Moby Dick and 1Q84 on my TBR! I hope I enjoy them as much as you did!

[@CriminOllyBlog]

@@ThatReadingGuy28 They're both incredible absorbing reads

[@speaking_bookish]

I also have a DNF shelf in my “exclusive” shelves- I put hard DNF’s there- I also put my soft DNF’s back in to my “to read”.. so basically the same exact way you do yours 😊

[@rp7390]

Hi, thanks for the video! Being a big fan of the first law series, I'm curious about which characters story arc didn't really work for you in "the first law". (personally, I find all of Logan's chapter's a bit slow)

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I think it was Logan - it was the guy who wasn't the evil torturer guy anyway

[@allgirlreview433]

I read Shogun when I didn't own a tv or computer. Back then I only had a shortwave radio for entertainment other than books which I had to import at great cost. I loved it because it transported me to the time and place, but I know I couldn't read it now with so many other things handy to entertain me.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Yeah the distractions of modern life can be overwhelming

[@mlodestar2743]

Finnegan's Wake by James Joyce. Someone said Wings of the Dove by Henry James. Hard to read, like all James. I got through it, but honestly his prose so convoluted that his books are not worth the effort required to finish them.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I've never even attempted Joyce beyond Portrait of the Artist.... which I DNFed

[@joanthompson5606]

The one Henry James you really should read if you haven't, is The Turn of the Screw. It's short and has a whole different tone (though I love all James' fiction).

[@recynd77]

I’ve long been a fan of DNFing. I spent my most avidly reading years with my ADHD unmedicated; I simply don’t have the focus to stick with a book that I don’t find absorbing. Thank you for admitting you didn’t like Wolf Hall. I went through an historical fiction obsession and I wanted to like it so much…but didn’t. Same with Outlander. Great Expectations was required reading in my junior(?) year of high school. I’m so sure: what 16 year old American can handle Dickens? Why not Jane Eyre? I’ve loved the classic/Victorian TV miniseries (Bleak House, Vanity Fair, Great Expectations, Anna Karenina, etc.) were so good-but too many details to read. I loved The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Secret History (though the character development was weird: I never did really connect with any of them). You’ve helped inspire me to get back into reading, though I cursed you throughout Hogg. The Pillowman was practically a tropical vacation in comparison! 😂. I need to get away from disturbing for a while. Cheers!

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Wonderful that you're reading again! I still have to get to The Pillowman but am looking forward to it

[@emmaribena5529]

my most recent DNFs: The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett; Poking Holes by Jaun Valencia; Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury; White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi; The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson; As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner; Bunny by Mona Awad and Horns by Joe Hill (I intend to finish the last two eventually)

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I've DNFed Pillars of the Earth 2 or 3 times!

[@emmaribena5529]

@@CriminOllyBlog My mum said 'Oh, it's so easy to read'. Ha!! For you maybe! I haven't given up completely, it's still on my shelf for another go!

[@joanthompson5606]

Haven't read the others but The Haunting of Hill House is fantastic! Hope you get back to it someday, also the film versions mostly just ruin it.

[@JohnG225]

It took me 3 attempts to finish The Blade Itself. I’m more of a sci-fi reader. However, I then blasted through the two sequels. I’d recommend revisiting.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Good to know!

[@JohnG225]

@@CriminOllyBlog I tend to be more of a 'will revisit when in the mood' rather than outright DNF sort of person.

[@parazatico9030]

I don't give up on books easily enough, unfortunately, and thereby waste quite a lot of time persevering with stuff I'm not particularly enjoying (most recently 'The Electric Church' by Jeff Somers). I did give up on Richard Laymon's 'Dark Mountain' the other week though, and I've returned S.M. Stirling's 'Conan; Blood of the Serpent' to the shelf to (hopefully) be revisited later.

[@scp240]

I read Shantaram years ago and thought it was an amazing book, although very long and it could have used some editing. Books I dnf'd recently include Atlas Shrugged, A Gentleman in Moscow, Peer Gynt, and The Three Musketeers (although I love the movie!). These are not necessarily bad books, I just couldn't stick with them. Books I wished I had dnf'd include To The Lighthouse, Killing Floor, and One Hundred Years of Solitude. My first year in college I fancied myself an English major and The Horse's Mouth was a dnf that I thank for making me seek a different field of expertise that I could actually use to support myself. However, I've wanted to try it again after 50 years or so just to see if I would like it second time around.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I did hear, from someone who worked in the Australian publishing biz, that the first draft of Shantaram was significantly longer!

[@pastorytime2683]

I was so disappointed by the chbosky!! But did manage to finish it. I also dnf'd Ducks - for the same reasons as you, and also it was making me anxious. Siân

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I do wonder if anyone has actually finished Ducks...

[@paulfillingham2958]

I’ve got a rather bad habit of starting a book which I’m enjoying then on a particular day don’t fancy it so start another. I will eventually read the books but at the moment have 4 of them next to my reading chair while I’ve started reading the Elric cycle so I’m not sure when I’ll get back to them. Two books (which are both very long) that I dnf’d many years ago are ‘Mason Dixon’ by Thomas Pynchon I tried it twice got to the same point where suddenly a random talking dog appeared and couldn’t proceed. The other ‘Ancient Evenings’ by Norman Mailer I was really enjoying and don’t know why I stopped. Like you I recently bought a trilogy that was recommended to me. I read the first book but didn’t really like it, started the second and read maybe 100 pages and put it down. That was the Stephen King Mr Mercedes trilogy.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I actually loved Mr Mercedes!

[@paulfillingham4778]

@@CriminOllyBlog I’ve read lots of crime fiction over the years. Some great, some good, some poor. Writers like Donna Tart and James Lee Burke are just outstanding. Compared to these and many others I think King should forget writing crime fiction I just think it’s not his forte.

[@mzcyberbat]

omg Lauline Paul is amazing. Her book POD was a brilliant read. Idiot Gods about orcas was also brilliant. Its published under a different title now. Can't remember the author.

[@sandeesandwich2180]

I have also DNF'd some of these same books. Ducks, Newburyport I'd checked out on audio, and I DNF'd almost before I started it, because it was too much of a time commitment, and also I was hoping that it was a Newwburyport near me, instead of in the middle of the US, which might have made it relatable enough that I could stick with it. Outlander I did not finish. I like time travel novels, but not this one. I just checked The Bees out, so I hope I have a better experience with it than you did. I'm putting Sea of Rust on my TBR -- thanks for the suggestion!

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Hope you like The Bees more than me!

[@booksbeerhorror753]

For me, Interview With the Vampire is just impossible to get through. I have made 8 or 9 attempts in the past 20 years. I finally just accepted that I hate it and gave up forever.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

8 or 9 attempts feels like it's probably enough. I'd walk away!

[@brabel0401]

Interesting, I loved Interview with the Vampire when I read it as a teenager (as well as the sequels) but I wonder if I would feel the same way if I were to pick it up now, decades later…

[@KeytarArgonian]

There are times when it gets so sloggingly conceptual, particularly when it comes to Louis, and later Lestats deep depressions that you just end up reading through this kind of word/image/concept syrup. I did finish and enjoy them, but I can absolutely understand DNF’ing.

[@CDubya.82]

Im still trying to get through Shogun. Haven't DNF'd it yet but do have other books I'm reading as I go.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I do need to try it again, sometime....

[@BeckyPoleninja]

Shantaram on audio is amazing. There are a lot of podcast interwith the author where he talks about eventually being caught by Interpol

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I can see how it might work well that way

[@bigaldoesbooktube1097]

Great video. Half of all the books you DNF are some of my favourite books 🤷🏻‍♂️. I do love a really chunky book though.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Ha! We're all different - and I am pretty sure I'll get through at least some of them one day

[@duffypratt]

I’ve DNF’d around 10 books in my life. They fall into three categories: Lost, and not worth getting another copy: Living with the Dead by Rock Scully, and The Rise of Silas Lapham. Neither were terrible, but once I lost them I decided it was fate. Put down, but might come back to at some point: Finnegan’s Wake, Tristram Shandy. These are both books with basically no forward impetus. You could pretty much open them at random. Enjoyable for a few pages, and then I start wondering what it’s for. Almost certainly not getting another shot: The Yawning Heights by Zinoviev, a Soviet dissident. It’s a huge satire that went entirely over my head, and was both incredibly dull and incomprehensible. The Adventures of Angie March by Saul Bellow - a book where the writing itself seems to be the hero, and it just got too annoying. Phenomenology of Mind by Hegel - bad philosophy that tries to cover up how bad it is by being terribly written. And Insurgent by Veronica Roth, the second of the Divergent series, which is so stupid that I could feel myself getting dumber with every page.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

LOL at Divergent!

[@bookssongsandothermagic]

Awesome video. Great hearing you go through these books. I liked Fifth Season but I definitely found it hard work. I think it’s at the limit for me; something I may have DNFed if I hadn’t have persevered. I didn’t get the point of the 2nd person style either in some of it. Funny that The Blade Itself was one of the few buddy reads I’ve done. For me, it took ages to lock in but was rewarding by the end of it. I loved Sea of Rust hahaha genuinely loved it - but I struggled with a fantasy book of his.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Cheers Gareth - I think I'll definitely try SOR again

[@eriklarsen9942]

Late to the party here, but just discovered the channel. I 100% agree about Dan Brown. I read the divinci code and struggled. The writing is okay, but it really is a mish-mash of flashbacks, research notes, and exposition loosely wrapped in a chase thriller. I couldn't believe it when it became a best seller. I find that for all his Robert Langdon novels. For once, the movies were way, way better than the books.

[@bfitzger2]

The Fifth Season is interesting. I read it recently, and I did not love it, but I finished it, and some of the reason I didn't love it was that a lot of the plot didn't land for me. I persevered and read the second book, and within a few chapters much of book one started making sense and my memory of it flipped, and then I loved it. It was weird, because I know I didn't care for it when I had just read the first book. The author took a gamble on world building where you tell about the world from the point of view of people living in it, no cheats or asides, and this failed to hook some of us enough. I respect that attempt, I'm really tired of "here's a whole world but somehow the people living in it know exactly what to say to people that didn't grow up inside it". And yet I was frustrated a bit with Jemisin for doing exactly the right thing, or at least the thing we as readers say "I really wish the author would do this".

[@jthutt5042]

Recommendation: The Listener by Robert R. McCammon. IMO as good as Boy’s Life and Swan Song.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Cheers! I've not heard of that one

[@massonman9099]

go for shogun. One of those books you have to stick at, then are drawn into.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Cheers!

[@Leebearify]

I fell over laughing when you talked about Dan Brown..... OMG are you ever right, if you look (or cared enough to look) his formula even tells you how many pages you can expect before the next thing happens. I, too, am over DB !!

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Oh wow, I didn't know it was that tight a formula!

[@exomake_mehorololo]

I DNF all the time... I don't have time nor reason to drag along reading something I don't enjoy. I can do that at work 😁 for renumeration

[@joanthompson5606]

It is actually 'remuneration' (tricky one, that), just so you know...😉😊

[@_thepoet68]

I DNF Infinite Jest, but may give it another go one day, super thick and wordy book but had some good scenes. Not my usual cup of tea, either.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I've DNFed that one too!

[@beardfromtadcymru9714]

Interesting video. I would advise giving the Blade Itself another go, it's definitely not hero fantasy 😂. The audiobooks are amazing also. But book 1 is very character driven (the plot only really kicks in during book2) so if you don't like the characters, it might not be for you. I also struggled with Shogun and it's introduction of 240,000,000 characters every chapter. But, I'm still reading it, it does settle down just after part 1. For me the only book I can really remember DNFing was The Well of Assention (Misborn book2)

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I’ve yet to try any Sanderson!

[@kaylakinney5954]

As a huge Perks of Being a Wallflower fan, Imaginary Friend was SO disappointing. I only pushed through because I liked POBAW!

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Glad I didn't persevere with it then!

[@katherineeaster5799]

If you're looking for any new horror books, I just finished Mothered, by Zoje Stage, and it was very intense. I thought the mother/daughter dynamic was very relatable (not the crazy stuff that happens, but the situation they find themselves in). I will say I wish I hadn't read the Epilogue. But before that, definitely a 5 star read for me. And I may have recommended this Fantasy book before, I tell everyone so it's hard to keep track, but The Lies of Locke Lamora (The Gentleman Bastard series) by Scott Lynch is definitely one of my favorites. It's not heavy on the magic, it's more about world building and the character interactions. And it's not terribly long.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I actually have both of those on my kindle! Will have to try and get to them soon

[@johnwalsh4857]

the best James Clavell I read was Noble House loved that one and the 80s TV mini series.

[@johnbarton562]

Some people say War and Peace is a great novel, I wonder if people read it for bragging rights though, since not many people have gotten through it? I have lots of books on my dnf list - I am sure there are many I'll come back to eventually.

[@jshaers96]

It's a great novel, no question about that.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I do wonder that sometimes.

[@civoreb]

I use the rule of a 100 for all genres except fantasy for which I use the rule of 150. Take my age and do 100 minus that and give it that many pages to hook me. Too many to read and not enough time to slog through boring/uninteresting books. Fantasy takes longer to build up so I do 150 minus my age.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

That seems a good rule!

[@irinanka]

Ducks, Newburyport is a great book, but you have to keep at it. Don't put it away for a longer time, and pay attention. That stream of consciousness will slowly make sense. Not normally my kind of thing, but I thought it was wonderful.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I will give it a go again one day!

[@HorrorDeconstruction]

One of the books i couldn't finish was WILD ANIMUS a book apparently was printed and given out for free, one of the worst written books i couldn't understand it. not alone on it actually.

[@LoganEngland]

I DNFd Raintree County for the same reason you did Ducks, Newburyport.

[@speedotheguido1014]

I think if you want to give fantasy another chance you should try the green bone saga by Fonda Lee, set closer to reality with fantasy elements...or not sure if you've read the Red Rising books by Pierce Brown. They are technically Sci Fi but feel more fantasy, are very fast paced and full of twists and turns and there's a new one coming out this summer.

[@exomake_mehorololo]

👀👀👀 A YA book where the characters are bees? So like angsty, self obsessed moody bees that make questionable choices 👀